Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1884. MANAWATU WEST COAST AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SOCIETY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 270, 11 October 1884, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1884. MANAWATU WEST COAST AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SOCIETY.

The meeting which was convened by the Chairman of the Highway Board for Thursday evening, did some good work although it might have been better attended. In matters of this kind, that is, m setting public societies on foot, Palmers ton is not different to most other places m New Zealand. The actual carrying out of such preliminary operations, always devolves upon a few people who take an' interest m public matters, whilst the greater portion of .the settlers are content to aid m the way of subscriptions, provided they are not put to the trouble of attending a variety of meetings and otherwise being bothered m the matter. And so m this case, the inauguration of the new society which is a most welcome one m the Manawatu, has had to be performed by a few workers. Let us hope the settlers will do their part by responding to the calls of the committee and becoming members of the Association. If they consider that they themselves will be the chief gainers, they will, no doubt, do so. An Agricultural Society plays direct into the farmer's hand. It encourages him to improve the breeds of his stock because it affords him an opportunity of shewing them* If already a breeder of stud flocks, the annual <shows are the best advertisements he can-have. And then, the most practical advantage of all, by exhibiting his stock and produce he brings them under the notice of the purchasers, and dealers, and strengthens the connection, which always should but seldom does exist, between the town and country. The first of these tendencies would do away with the too general error of breeding inferior sheep and cattle to stock new country with. How evident is this error to any one who chooses to see it ! In some paddocks the veriest scrubbers are chawing up the young grass, with their lantern jaws, whilst their lean, herring-shaped bodies seem never to be- satisfied or grow the fatter for it. It takes as much grass to feed a bad beast as it does a good 'one, and the good one really comes to something m the long run. If the new Society improves the class of stock m the district, it will do well. Again, the second tendency is to make known which breeder has the choicest stock, and the third, to encourage a market fur it^ and all other produce. What would the farms do if there were no market for their produce ? They would simply be of no commercial value, and without farms, the land would not be tilled or grazed, and the creation of wealth be stopped.

No country could live under these conditions. Land, with its products, is the foundation of the whole of the political column, but it must have its markets. To show the important light m which these societies are viewed by the Government it may be mentioned, that they are specially encouraged by bein ; allowed all the privileges of Joint Stock Companies, without being put to the ' same expense of registration, etc-t If not less than fifty persons combine together, the Crown is bound to grant them the rights of association, j when they may hold lands, etc. etc., precisely as any other company may. In the case of our society there is a very valuable freehold of nearly ten acres which would be vested m it at once, and which would make a very substantial assetin the society's affairs. But the management must be such as will not bring it to an • .untimely end, as has been done m W^nganui. There the causes of failure are chiefly attributable, we believe, to too heavy prize money being given and a lack of subscribers through the fee for membership being two guineas instead of one. It is most melancholy to see sucli a useful society die such asudden death. In Hawkes Bay the subscription to the local society used formerly to be t^o guineas, but that feehas lately been reduced to one half, and the increase m the number of members has, we are informed, more than compensated the society for the reduction they have made. Besides I this, it is more widely subscribed to and m that lies the great secret of success. It is vastly more advantageous to have 200 members at LI each than 110 at L 2, even if the latter pay L'2o per annum more than the former, for the greater the I number of members, the greater will be the publicity given at the shows and the more powerful and import^ ant will the society become. It was suggested at the meeting, and wisely, that the new society should extend over the whole of the West j Coast. One thing is obvious m a matter of this kind, the larger the concern, the greater will be its (prosperity and the more valuable will be the benefits it bestows on the district. A large, wealthy society? extending its operations all over the West Coast of this island would indeed be of immense value to both the towns and settlements m it. There need be no jealousy as to-iiny one place being more patronised than another. Let each district along the coast be represented on the Society's Committee m proportion to its size and population, and" then each will receive its share of the society's patronage. Let shows be organised so as to be held alternately at each of the most convent- i ent centres, and be careful that the benefits to be derived are equally ; shared by all. The results would be the institution of a glorious, monster association whose; combined unity of action would provide substantial prizes for exhibits, whose vast connection would attract a large quantity of entries, and whose general organization would tend to encourage the various parts of the West Coast to . work together more thari they have done m the past, for the mutual good of all concerned. There is an old proverb, ; and a true one which says *' Unity ■ is Strength." Let us try it. .., ,